Lk 19:1-10

He entered Jericho and was passing through it. A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way.

When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. All who saw it began to grumble and said, “He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.”

Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.” Then Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.”

New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.

Seeking to see

I sometimes allow the busyness and demands of life to weigh me down. Although I recognize that to ease my burden all I need to do is to take time alone with Jesus in prayer, it is sometimes hard for me to actually do so. The external challenges I am experiencing coupled with my internal limitations often blind me from taking the necessary steps to seek Jesus out.

Zacchaeus, short in stature and probably immersed in the demands of his privileged position of being a chief tax collector and a wealthy man, seemed to recognize that something in his life was missing. Driven by his desire to do something about it, Zacchaeus found himself seeking to see who Jesus was. He runs ahead of the crowd, climbs a tree, and positions himself in Jesus’ sight. And to Zacchaeus’ surprise, Jesus was also seeking to see him! In his encounter with Jesus, Zacchaeus’ life was transformed.

Have you ever thought about the possibility that Jesus may be seeking you out? What areas in your life are preventing you from encountering Him?

Prayer

Lord, grant that I may see thee more clearly,love thee more dearly,follow thee more nearly.

—St. Ignatius of Loyola, Spiritual Exercises #104

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St. Ignatius’s First Principle and Foundation says “The goal of our life is to live with God forever. God, who loves us, gave us life. Our own response of love allows God's life to flow into us without limit.” One of the ways in which we respond to the love God has given us is through prayer, not only personal prayer but community prayer as well.
The Pastoral Ministry Center invites members of our Strake Jesuit Community to share their prayers with us: their concerns, joys, thanksgivings, so that we may walk with them in all these times of their lives.

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Lk 19:1-10

He entered Jericho and was passing through it. A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way.

When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. All who saw it began to grumble and said, “He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.”

Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.” Then Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.”

New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.

Seeking to see

I sometimes allow the busyness and demands of life to weigh me down. Although I recognize that to ease my burden all I need to do is to take time alone with Jesus in prayer, it is sometimes hard for me to actually do so. The external challenges I am experiencing coupled with my internal limitations often blind me from taking the necessary steps to seek Jesus out.

Zacchaeus, short in stature and probably immersed in the demands of his privileged position of being a chief tax collector and a wealthy man, seemed to recognize that something in his life was missing. Driven by his desire to do something about it, Zacchaeus found himself seeking to see who Jesus was. He runs ahead of the crowd, climbs a tree, and positions himself in Jesus’ sight. And to Zacchaeus’ surprise, Jesus was also seeking to see him! In his encounter with Jesus, Zacchaeus’ life was transformed.

Have you ever thought about the possibility that Jesus may be seeking you out? What areas in your life are preventing you from encountering Him?